There are known a copier or a facsimile machine where an electric stapler for automatically binding copied or facsimile-received sheets of paper is installed therein. The electric stapler of built-in type has a feed mechanism for feeding the staple contained in a cartridge from the cartridge to a striking portion, a striking mechanism for striking the staple fed to the striking portion from the striking portion toward sheets of paper, and a clincher mechanism for bending the leg of the staple struck by the striking mechanism and penetrated through the sheets of paper along a backside of the sheets of paper. Furthermore, the electric stapler is provided with a drive mechanism for driving the feed, striking and clincher mechanisms due to a rotation force of one or a plurality of electric motors. The electric motors and the drive mechanism are designed to satisfy a predetermined endurance-life limit value of the electric stapler.
The copier or the like installing the electric stapler is adapted to thoroughly count the cumulative number of copied sheets. Based on the cumulative copy count, the endurance life is decided for the main components of the copier, and used as a measure of copier maintenance in exchanging components. However, in the electric stapler installed in the copier or the like, the copied sheets of paper to be fastened are not constant in the number. Besides, because there are cases of applying automatic stapling and not applying stapling, there is not always a proportional relationship between copy count and the number of operations of the electric stapler. With certain copy count, it is impossible to decide the endurance life of the electric stapler.
In order to grasp a cumulative operation state of the electric stapler installed in the conventional apparatus, there is a need to visually decide a wear degree of the rotary shaft, electric motor or other parts after the electric stapler is removed from the copier and disassembled during maintenance inspection. It is extremely difficult for the serviceman to detect an endurance life of the electric stapler by means of the copier used by the user. For this reason, it is a usual practice, in frequent cases, to make an exchange significantly prior to reaching the endurance-life limit value of the electric stapler.
Meanwhile, conventionally, even where the serviceman who visited his/her client makes certain of the motor rotary shaft on the actual machine during maintenance inspection, there is difficulty in deciding in what degree the rotation cumulative amount of rotary shaft is neared to its limit value. There are many cases to make an exchange when significantly far from the limit value. For example, for the electric stapler mounted on a copier, there are cases of exchanges at a use even a half of a limit value because of no provision of indicator means.